Device for the production of lang lay wire cables



Oct. 24, 1961 c. J. HOLM 3,005,304

DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LANG LAY WIRE CABLES Filed Aug. 19, 1957United States Patent 3,005,304 DEVICE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LANG LAYWIRE CABLES Carl Julianus Holm, Lerltendalsvei l9, Trondheim, NorwayFiled Aug. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 678,897

Claims priority, application Norway Aug. 25, 1956 Claims. (CI. 57-12)The present invention relates to a device for the production of lang laysteel wire cable without producing a twisting strain. More particularly,the invention contemplates a cable winding machine of the type whereinthe bobbins for the wire or strand material, the pull device comprisinga spin head as well as a take-up reel and its frame rotate aboutindividual axes during the laying operation.

For lang lay steel cables, a product produced in conventional manner maybe without strain but the individual wires and strands will have atendency of lying such as to have an irregular appearance and be moreeasily damaged in use. On the other hand, if the mutual rotation betweenthe bobbins and associated pull device in conventional equipment is soadapted that the cable obtains the desired firm and even lay, thefinished product will not be without strain.

It is an object of the invention to provide a method and a device forthe production of lang lay cables without strain by means of a cablewinding machine of the above mentioned type whereby a finished productis obtained having an even and firm lay and still being substantiallywithout strain. It is of the greatest importance to be able to producesuch steel wire cable, lang lay cables having several advantageousproperties compared with cross lay cable. The lang lay cable is easierto handle and is less subject to wear and tear, the individual wires, asknown, extending in the same direction as do the strands in the cable,whereby each wire has a substantial contact face against, for example, awheel over which the cable runs. This contrasts with a correspondingcross lay cable, where the individual wires extend across the twistdirection of the strands and thus have a very short contact face.

According to the invention, a lang lay steel wire cable without strainis obtained by rotating the spools or bobbins of a cable winding machineabout a cable core somewhat slower than the associated rotatable pulldevice. A rotational difference of 10-15%, preferably about 13% hasproved to be convenient. The product leaving the pull device therebywill have a firm and even lay but has an inherent strain. Thisintermediate product leaving the pull device is led to an independentlyrotatable receiving reel frame in which a reel is journaled. This deviceis rotated with a speed somewhat less than the rotational speed of thepull device, whereby the inherent strain of the intermediate product,due to the difference between the rotation rate of the bobbins and thepull device, is removed from said intermediate product, so that it iswound up on the receiving reel as a finished product having no inherentstrain.

To have a better understanding of the invention, an embodiment isschematically shown in the drawing as described below.

In the drawing, 1 is a source of power such as, for instance, anelectric motor which via suitable transmission 2 rotates a drive shaft3. From said shaft, rotational power is delivered to the various partsof the machine as is further described below.

A central bobbin frame 4 containing a bobbin 5 having a cable core isrotated by the shaft 3 via a transmission 7. The side bobbin frames 4,of which only two are shown in the drawing are driven via transmissions8 and "ice 9 and the change speedwheels or-gears 2'3 and 24. Byinterchanging the wheels 23 and 24, the speed of rotation of the bobbinframes 4 about the cable core may be varied in relation to a rotatingpulling device including frame 12 and rollers 13 and in relation to aframe 17 supporting a take-up reel 21. The bobbin shafts 6 are soarranged that wires or the strands 10 are led linearly and in convergentmanner from the bobbins to spinning head 11, where the wires or strandsthen are twisted in conventional manner. The spun product is drawnthrough the spinning head 11 by means of the rollers 13 arranged in theframe 12 which the spun product leaves as an interme diate product 20.The frame 12 is rotatable on a memher 1 4 and is driven by means of thetransmission 15 and the gear wheels 25 and 26 which are operativelycoupled to the shaft 3, from which also transmission 16 derives powerwhich is delivered via gear assembly 16 to the rollers 13. Byinterchanging the wheels 25 and 26, the pulling device including members12 and 13 can be given the desired speed of rotation in relation to thebobbin frames 4 and the take-up frame 17.

Coaxial to member 14 is arranged the frame 17 which is independentlyrotatable and in which the receiving or take-up reel 21 is journalled.The rotation of the frame 17 about trunions 18 is provided by atransmission 19 from the common drive shaft 3. The rotation of reel 21,which takes up the finished product is provided by means of thetransmission 27 via. an arrangement comprising a laying device for thewire rope on the reel 21 (not shown). A braking device 22 controlsthrough the intermediary of a transmission 29 the rotation of acentrally arranged shaft 28, and the relative rotation obtained betweensaid shaft and the trunions 18 provides a drive through the intermediaryof gear assembly 28' for the winding of the finished product on the reel21.

The arrangement of the rotating bobbins 5 in the frames 4 and that ofthe frame 12 and rollers 13 with the spinning head 11 is conventional.The improvement resides in the arrangement of the independentlyrotatable take-up reel device 17, 21 so that its speed of rotation isvariable in relation to the speed of rotation of the pulling deviceincluding elements 12 and 13. This improvement makes it possible for theintermediate product 20 leaving the pulling device to be subjected to adesired twist before being taken up by the device 17, 21. As describedabove, the invention prescribes that the bobbin frames 4, 4' rotatesomewhat slower than the pull device, so that the lang lay steel wireleaving the pulling device will have a firm and even lay, but will havean inherent strain. This strain is removed by means of the frame 17(carrying the reel 21) being rotated with a speed which is somewhat lessthan the rotational speed of the pulling device. The finished productwound on the reel 21, therefore, will be substantially without strainbut still has a firm and even lay. The adaptation of the rotation of thereel frame to the pulling device rotation is effected empirically.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for winding cable comprising a source of a cable core,bobbins rotatable about the core to lay wire thereupon, a rotatablepulling device for moving the core so that the latter is twisted alongits length, a rotatable take-up device for receiving the twisted cable,and means to rotate the bobbins, pulling device and take-up device, saidmeans rotating the bobbins slower than the pulling device to provide astrain in the wire and the take-up device slower than the pulling deviceto remove the strain.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means rotates thebobbins 10-15% slower than the pulling device.

(References on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Reichelt Oct. 18,1932 Boe Aug. 1, 1933 Wolf Aug. 15, 1939- MacCreadie Oct. 17, 1944 ClaryApr. 3, 1951 Swanson Sept. 25, 1956 Fewtrell et a1. Feb. 12, 1957FOREIGN PATENTS Netherlands July 16, 1951

